1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method for filling a plastic bottle with a neck, and the attachment of a capsule with at least one substance which is enclosed therein and which is to be dispensed into the plastic bottle, as well as to a plastic bottle with a capsule attached on the bottle neck.
2. Discussion of Related Art
As known, many mixed products separate, decompose or change in another manner and thus become unusable after a certain period of time. This is circumvented by storing certain substances which break down easily, separately, and leaving it to the consumer to bring together the components before the actual use. This is the case with different medicaments, with which a powdery substance or a tablet is added to a liquid component, and these two parts are taken together afterwards. This concept is becoming more widespread in the foodstuffs industry. Thus for example, fruit yogurts are offered, which are accommodated in a two-part pot, wherein the yogurt is accommodated in one pot and the crunchy muesli in the other pot, and the muesli pot may be moved in a hinged manner and the contents may be emptied into the yogurt pot after the removal of a cover membrane. Because the two components may be consumed on their own without any problem, it is also not a problem for the consumer to have both parts individually accessible. With milk mixing products, for example, the fluid component obtained from milk is present with other substances, such as various vitamins, trace elements or other components which are beneficial to health, and it does not make sense for the consumer to have these two parts separate.
Accordingly, plastic bottles which are combined with a capsule in which a substance to be applied into the plastic bottle is held, have been obtainable on the market. One particular known embodiment is taught by PCT International Publication WO 98/40289. Here, a tablet is located in a cavity of a closure which is closed by a lid. On opening for the first time, this lid is pierced and the tablet falls into the container. This solution is inadequate for reasons of demands with regard to shelf-life and hygiene, because the tablet is not present sealed in a separate capsule. In a second variant, the tablet is located in a capsule and is removed using a break-through means, and falls into the liquid component located thereunder. Because the capsule remains in the pour-out region of the closure, the closure must be screwed off after opening for the first time, and the capsule removed. This is awkward for the consumer and is probably not understood. The consumer would become irritated because of the poor pour-out nature of the closure.
Apart from these mentioned documents which represent the closest state of the art, other possible concepts which indicate a chamber in a closure, in which the tablet is accommodated in a direct manner or in an enclosure which may be pierced. Such documents for example are Great Britain Patent References GB-A-2′321′231 or GB-A-2′364′699.
Great Britain Patent Reference GB-A-2′210′014 shows a completely different idea, a water beaker which is filled with water, in order to consume tablets located in a blister package arranged above the beaker. Finally, European Patent Reference EP-0′857′662 shows an unusual solution with which a container or its lid that comprises a secondary closure, which may be used by a filling machine for filling a receptacle in a cold-aseptic manner.
The solutions with regard to known closure and receptacles, wherein a capsule with a substance is held over the container neck, always assume that these capsules need to be removed after having been emptied, in order to bring the container with the closure into a condition of use. The applicant distances himself from this concept, and is aware of the fact that a capsule with a substance accommodated therein which is to be introduced into the fluid of the receptacle, represents an enormous potential, but that this potential may only be exploited if the capsule may be attached onto the receptacle during the filling procedure in a manner which is conducive to production. A known solution filed previously by the applicant discloses welding a finished capsule directly onto the bottle neck and dimensioning the capsule and bottle neck accordingly. However, for various applications, such a solution is hardly possible logistically in a reasonable manner, in particular when one operates with very high filling speeds.
A further problem is that often, the fluid accommodated in the receptacle, if a drink, must also be sterilized after the aseptic filing. However, temperatures which under certain circumstances would already destroy the contents of the capsule already located on the bottle occur during sterilization.
Because the receptacle is closed with the capsule, it is not possible to sterilize before applying the capsule. These problems often occur with fruit juices or drinks produced using milk.